Bones Facts

Bones Facts

Bones make up the skeleton of the human body, as well as the skeleton of animals. They provide the frame for our body, but they also provide insight into the past through dinosaur skeletons, human skeletons, and skeletons of other creatures that no longer exist or have changed over time. When humans are born they have approximately 300 bones, but this reduces to 206 by the time of adulthood, due to bones fusing together. Bones are made of periosteum, compact bone, cancellous, and bone marrow. Bone marrow makes blood cells. Babies have some bones made up of cartilage that grows throughout childhood and is eventually replaced with bone, thanks to calcium.

Interesting Bones Facts:

The periosteum is the outer surface of the bone. It is thin and dense and contains the blood vessels and nerves that help to nourish the bone.

The compact bone is the layer under the periosteum, and is hard and smooth. This is the outer layer that appears on a skeleton.

The cancellous part of the bones is inside the compact bone and consists of many layers. This looks similar to a sponge, and is hard but not as hard as the compact bone.

The bone marrow is inside the cancellous part of the bone. It is similar to thick jelly. The bone marrow creates the blood cells in the body.

Bones are made up of protein collagen, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals.

Human bones reach their full size by approximately the age of 25.

The spine is made up bones that work together to hold the body upright. It also allows the body to twist and bend, and it protects the spinal column. The spine consists of 26 bones called vertebrae.

The ribs are a set of bones that consist of 12 pairs, usually.

The skull is a bone that protects the brain.

The smallest bone in the human body is the stirrup bone, at only 0.1 to 0.13 inches long. It is located behind the eardrum.

The human hand contains 54 bones, which is more than are contained in the human spine.

The longest bone is the femur, or thighbone. It is also the strongest bone in the body.

The only bone that is not connected to another is the hyoid. This bone is located at the tongue's base. It is a V-shaped bone.

Although bones stop growing, their density can still change based on diet and lifestyle choices.

Bones are connected by joints in the body.

Some of the most famous bones in the world belonged to ancient kings and queens. Archaeologists dig them up and many are on display in museums around the world.

Famous bones also belong to dinosaurs that have been recovered by archaeologists around the world.

Egyptians mummified their dead and because of this it has been possible to recover more than just the bones of ancient Egyptian kings and queens.

One of the oldest bones recovered is believed to be 90,000 years old. It is the middle section of a middle finger, found in Tayma, in Saudi Arabia.